How do I set the NTP server prior to server boot for Windows?

Table of Contents

Background

Rightlink is dependent on the time being less than 1 minute off to fully boot and to start processing scripts. Rightlink is by default set to sync to time.rightscale.com upon launch. Primarily in a private cloud situation, organizations may have communication to time.rightscale.com blocked or wish to go off their own NTP server to set time on their private cloud instances.

It is advised that you use the default time server RightScale provides.

Answer

The NTP server can be set prior to launching an instance by going to the server details under advanced options. When you expand advanced options you will find a user data field, here you can enter the NTP server by using the RS_ntp= <option>

Example: RS_ntp=pool.ntp.org

We also support a space or comma delimited list of NTP servers such as RS_ntp=pool.ntp.org,time.windows.com

If RS_ntp=none is specified, then it bypasses the time sync. This is not advisable for most clouds, however there are exceptions when the hypervisor defines the instance time (instead of the instance keeping its own time), in which case it should not attempt to sync.